Interest rate on student loans to be capped April 7, 2026 Interest on student loans will be capped, in an attempt from the government to draw a line under a political row which has engulfed Westminster. Labour has announced that maximum interest rates on Plan 2 and Plan 3 student loans will not rise beyond six per cent from the next academic year starting in September. [...]
‘Cracks are showing’: Asylum contract deadline pushed back as pressure on Labour grows April 7, 2026 The Home Office has pushed back a crucial deadline for private sector companies to bid for a key asylum accommodation contract, piling pressure on the government to see through its effort to reform the wider immigration system. A deadline for businesses to engage the Home Office on a new contract for managing asylum accommodation has [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks dip ahead of Trump’s Iran deadline April 7, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The London market is set to return from the bank holiday break with a major hangover. Whilst the City enjoyed an Easter break, volatile trading continued with Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – hovering around the $110 mark after see-sawing between gains [...]
The madness of a state that spends more on welfare than it raises from income tax April 7, 2026 If it were possible to buy Happy New Tax Year cards you’d surely find them stocked in the ‘With Sympathy’ section. As of yesterday, the state has increased its demands on a host of taxpayers. Dividend tax is up two per cent for basic and higher rate taxpayers, with the latter now hit by a [...]
‘A whole civilisation will die tonight’: Trump ramps up Iran threats as deadline draws nearer April 7, 2026 Donald Trump has dialled up his threats on Iran warning a “whole civilisation will die tonight” ahead of his latest looming deadline for Iran. The chaotic sentiment has rocked markets across Europe after indexes struggled to find direction during early trading. The FTSE 100 see-sawed between gains and losses as the City market returned from [...]
14 charts reveal the massive challenges facing UK and NATO defence spending April 7, 2026 Defence spending is casting a shadow over Downing Street. Military officers are in a state of despair. The choices facing Sir Keir Starmer are stark. The political calculus for the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has become more complicated than ever as the Iran war puts public finances in danger. Their difficulties go back to February 2025 [...]
Tories urge Waitrose to re-hire worker who tackled shoplifter – and give him a bonus April 6, 2026 Shadow home secretary Chris Philp has urged the boss of Waitrose to re-hire Walker Smith, who tackled a shoplifter in south London attempting to steal luxury Easter eggs. Waitrose shop assistant Walker Smith was sacked by the supermarket after tackling a shoplifter, whom Smith recognised as a repeat offender. Philp wrote to Denyard, the managing [...]
MPs demand Kanye West ban as FTSE 100 sponsor ditches Wireless Festival April 6, 2026 Labour MPs are calling on Sir Keir Starmer to ban Kanye West from performing in north London this summer as major sponsors ditched Wireless Festival. Luke Akehurst and Rachael Maskell are among some of the MPs to have publicly urged Starmer to intervene on a visa to be issued to the ‘Gold Digger’ rapper, who [...]
From sick pay to whistleblowing: Sweeping new worker rights take effect April 6, 2026 This week marks one of the most significant shifts in employment regulations in years. From whistleblowing protections to ‘day‑one’ rights for fathers, a series of new costly rights is coming into force that businesses need to be prepared for. The government published a report earlier this year that revealed an estimated direct cost to business [...]
Ministers working with backbenchers amid immigration overhaul concerns April 5, 2026 Ministers concerned with home secretary Shabana Mahmood’s immigration changes are working with backbenchers concerned about planned immigration crackdowns. Figures within government are trying to help rebel MPs secure more exemptions from reforms being spearheaded by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, according to The Guardian newspaper. The changes are aimed at extending the amount of time migrants [...]